The present invention relates to estimating opacity. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for opacity calculation, prediction or estimation.
Currently three-dimensional processors (alternatively referred to as “3D processors”), render realistic two-dimensional images from a list of three-dimensional objects. These three dimensional objects (alternatively referred to as “data or primitives”) may consist of, for example, points, lines, triangles, and rectangles. These primitives may be combined to produce more complex objects or images. Some known prior art 3D processors write and store each of the primitives in an external memory, thus requiring a large external memory. Furthermore, writing such primitives to and reading them from an external memory requires using a large amount of bandwidth to transmit such data.
Images containing multiple primitives invariably have primitives that overlap. Each primitive has depth, translucency and color, among other attributes. The depth identifies which primitive is in front, while the translucency indicates whether the rear-most primitive is visible through the front-most primitive. A non-translucent primitive (i.e., an opaque primitive) blocks the primitives lying behind it. Therefore, identifying opaque primitives permits the removal of blocked or eclipsed primitives. In other words, the primitives lying behind the opaque primitives need not be displayed. However, translucency/opacity is not a simple, single parameter that is easy to identify but is a combination of many parameters.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.